A Spanish Anthology: A Collection of Lyrics from the Thirteenth Century Down to the Present Time

Use of the present Anthology in the Spanish classes at Harvard University has shown that Spanish verse appeals to the imagination of the English-speaking student. On that account, the editor now ventures to offer this book for general academic use. The volume should not be without a certain popular value also, since many poems are included in it that through translations have been introduced into English literature, and, like Longfellow’s version of the Coplas of Manrique, have there made their fortune. Indulgence is asked in cases where the readings of a particular text may not seem satisfactory. Access to the manuscripts or to rare early editions alone could justify the alteration of passages which even in the best editions available seem to have faulty readings. The editor has taken the liberty, however, of changing s to z in the older texts, where it was clear that the appearance of the former letter (as in rason, desir, etc.) was due to a common mistake of the first editors, who confused the z and the cursive s of their manuscripts.